KYBURRA AGM ERUPTS

Claims millions of dollars wasted

ANGER spilled over at the Kyburra Munda Yalga Aboriginal Corp AGM in Bowen, with members of the organisation questioning its management practices. The Bulletin revealed last month directors of Kyburra, which is now under special administration, failed to declare about $ 1.8 million in revenue between 2014 and 2017.

MEMBERS of an embattled Townsville indigenous corporation are angry about its management after discovering millions in undeclared revenue.

Emotions ran high at the Kyburra Munda Yalga Aboriginal Corp AGM in Bowen as many attendees expressed their dismay at the finances of the organisation, which is now under special administration.

Kyburra was incorporated in 2011 to represent the Juru people. The Bulletin revealed last month directors failed to declare about $ 1.8 million in revenue between 2014 and 2017.

The Office of the Registrar of Indigenous Corporations ( ORIC) found more than 70 potential breaches of the Corporations ( Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander) Act ( CATSI), including that $ 205,828.76 in payments from July 2014 to March 2017 were unaccounted for.

At the AGM, former Kybur- ra bookkeeper Evelyn Lymburner said “everything was done by the books” but admitted the cash payments were at the request of members conducting cultural heritage work.

“They said ‘ no, we want the cash over the counter because we don’t want it to go to Centrelink, we’ve got debits on our accounts’,” she said. “So we gave the cash. I know we shouldn’t have done that, but that’s how it was done.”

Ms Lymburner said directors had “found a clause” saying there was no requirement to pay tax on such payments.

“I don’t know how far the audit’s got to go back … because we might have to pay tax on them all,” she said.

Several members asked why Kyburra was insolvent.

“There’s millions of dollars that have gone through, how did we end up $ 150,000 in debt, why should we have to sell our freehold land ( to cover that),” one member yelled.

An elder asked why bursaries had not been granted.

“What about the students that want training and what about all Juru people … they don’t know anything that’s going on,” she said.

ORIC examiners had also raised concerns that directors were paid thousands in “attendance and negotiation fees” in breach of the CATSI Act.

Ex- director Jenny Pryor said the North Queensland Land Council ( NQLC) and a rule in Kyburra’s constitution allowed for the payments.

The Bulletin has confirmed Kyburra’s constitution does not allow for the payments and the rule referred to by Ms Pryor is not yet in effect.

NQLC chief executive Stephen Ducksbury said “at no time” were Kyburra directors told they were entitled to be paid fees, but it was “standard practice” that traditional owners could be paid to participate in Native Title negotiations.